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RFK Racing is facing the possibility of needing to run one of its three The Chase contenders in an unnamed car next season. If the team wants to change this, it may have to pay a heavy price.

The Athletic’s motorsports reporter Jordan Bianchi wrote this week that the low-end estimate for securing a permanent charter in the Cup Series is “close to $100 million,” and it could be even higher.

RELATED: Elite RFK Racing drivers could lose chartered status in 2027

RFK currently has a charter lease from Rick Ware Racing for the 2026 season. However, that charter was sold to Legacy Motor Club to complete the team’s expansion to three full-time drivers in 2027.

A charter in excess of $100 million is the kind of price tag that teams like Spire Motorsports, 23XI Racing, Hendrick Motorsports and Team Penske can possibly afford. The same was not necessarily the case with RFK’s financial situation.

This puts RFK in the same situation that team owners in the National Football League are increasingly facing. Although this is more extreme – NFL franchise value now exceeds $7 billion – NASCAR teams will need to target partnerships with private equity groups to afford the rising costs.

RELATED: Young driver named favorite for new charter at Legacy

At that point, Puck’s John Orand reported in January that private equity groups and media corporations had “informal conversations” about a possible process of taking a minority ownership stake in NASCAR. Similarly, the teams also have similar interests, with Spire’s pockets an example of how financial support from private equity can help fund operations.

Therefore, if RFK wants to obtain a charter to ensure that Ryan Preece, Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher are all eligible for the races and can receive full slotted purses for their finale, they will need to find the funds to obtain another charter.

What NASCAR charters may be available?

NASCAR still has four charters it can sell, but none of them are likely to be made available to RFK. Under the new agreement signed this year, NASCAR can create and sell four new charters to a new OEM entering the Cup Series, which is expected to be Ram.

This leaves the only options for RFK to lease or purchase the charter outright from another team. Spire, 23XI, Penske, Joe Gibbs Racing, Richard Childress Racing and Trackhouse Racing have no intentions of downsizing.

Meanwhile, Hyak Motorsports has extended Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s commitment to another season with a full-time driver in the Cup Series. Similarly, Wood Brothers Racing is expected to retain Josh Berry.

He leaves Rick Ware Racing and the Haas factory team. The most likely option would be for RWR to sell its only remaining charter, but even that may require some convincing as it would take Cody Ware out of the Cup Series.

Read more: NASCAR prospects whose stock is rising

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Jimmie Johnson’s racing team Legacy Motor Club is set to expand next year, adding a third charter for the 2027 Cup Series season. With the new seat available, it appears that the team’s search for its wheelman is over.

According to Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic, Legacy’s year-long search for a third chartered driver is “effectively over” and the team is now focusing on 23XI Racing’s Riley Herbst to get behind the wheel in 2027.

Read more: NASCAR prospects whose stock is rising

Riley Herbst, age 27, became a full-time Cup Series driver with 23XI in the No. 35 car last season. He struggled in his rookie year, failing to record a single top 10 finish, while posting one of the worst average starting positions (26.97) and average finishing position (26.39) among full-time Cup drivers.

He has performed much better in 2026. Through 12 races, Herbst’s average starting position (20.25) and average finishing position (22.67) have improved significantly. Herbst earned his first top-10 finish (Daytona 500) since 2023, and he has finished in the top 20 four times this year.

Herbst also brings other qualities that probably have significant importance to the heritage. First of all, he has proven to be an excellent teammate to Tyler Reddick this season through his work in leading Tyler Reddick to victory at Daytona and in the sim.

Equally important for a relatively new team like Legacy, Herbst also brings funding. The Herbst family owns a vast chain of convenience stores, and Driver has a long-term relationship with Monster Energy. Combine all this with the improvements he has made this year, and it is easy to see why he is a top candidate to join the Legacy Motor Club next season.

The domino effect of joining Riley Herbst’s legacy

All of Legacy’s pursuit comes as it secured a third charter in the Cup Series for the 2027 season, creating a domino effect that will impact many top teams. Both 23XI and RFK Racing are affected by the move.

RELATED: Chase Contender Could Lose Chartered Status in 2027

The above charter is leased to RFK this season and is being used for Ryan Preece. RFK is also in a tough spot as all three of its drivers—Preece, Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski—are in contract years. Even if all three drivers are re-signed, there is currently no viable path for the team to acquire a third charter.

Since RFK deals with the loss of a chartered car, 23XI has its own vacancy. Fortunately for the team co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, NASCAR’s top prospect Corey Haim is set to replace Herbst next season. Widely regarded as the top prospect in NASCAR, Heim’s arrival should give 23XI a chance to establish itself as the third-best team in the Cup Series.

RELATED: When Corey Heim Can Race Full-Time for 23XI Racing

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson